Need suggestions for design of sewing/stitching room

Marianne Teubner wrote:

Here is a url that will show a sewing room that I just completed for myself. It is 12x16 and the furniture is all hand made out of Cherry and Maple by myself. The cabinet against one wall is a reproduction of a Shaker Sewing Cabinet that I saw when on a tour of the various Shaker Villages in the north east a few years ago. The various drawers hold Spools of thread and notions. While the center table is not the largest it is 52"x32" and is large enough for all the cutting and lay out that I need for clothing. If you do quilts, then you might like a larger table. I also would recommend having separate tables for serger and sewing machine with a large work surface for the sewing machine. I would suggest making room for a comfortable chair to relax in. It is a great place to plan out the next project or in my case do needlepoint. The book cases are built in and hold my wife's cook book collection. The glass front wall cabinet over the Shaker sewing cabinet houses my sewing and needlepoint and calligraphy books. I am very happy with the results after many years of using kitchen tables and what not to get the job done. It helps that the house is a three story Victorian with plenty of rooms for two people, my wife and myself, to get lost in and do our various projects without infringing on the other person. I hope that you are able to click on the url and if not type it in and if you need a password it is stilton.

Good luck on your new project,

John Taylor

First thought is why a bedroom? Unless you are building for resale. I like a sewing room near the kitchen/laundry areas, and I like to be able to hear and see what is going on.

I recommend track lighting.

Not a Koala cabinet, for sure! Dedicated permanently up tables for the main machine, the main serger, and space to swap in and out the second serger and the hand cranks/other machines, plus space for the treadle and a cutting table high enough for me to work comfortable and wide enough to take 60" fabric laid out in a single layer! Loads of room to store stuff under that! :)

I use Ikea basket drawers for storing loads of stuff. My room is about

10' X 11' - so not big enough for everything I want in it. I'd love stash storage space and to get rid of the bed, but I have to use it as a bedroom when we have guests... The nice thing about the ikea drawers in my compromise room is that I can roll them about to get them out of the way or to give larger projects support at the sewing machine.

Excellent, indirect, natural light. High clerestory windows on at least two sides, a ceiling that bounces and diffuses light well, and solatubes or similar over the main machine area. High quality (high CRI, high color temperature) fluorescent lighting to supplement.

That's my must-have.

Other wants:

- a 60" x 8-10 ft cutting/drafting table; pad for pressing.

- wall racks for rolled fabrics, pattern paper, interfacing

- extensions that can be easily set up for more supported room around the machines

- hinged mirrors for good viewing of garments.

- whole house vacuum system

- design wall

- dedicated plug for pressing equipment, high on the wall or ceiling so the cord stays out of my way

- filtered power source for machines

Kay

For me it's the cutting table. I have a drop leaf cutting table with the removable plastic grid cutting mat. I bought this because I could drop the side leaves and push it out of the way, but that doesn't happen. It's always up because I'm always sewing something. Unfortunately, I didn't expect to keep it constantly up so I didn't really allow for the space. If I could do the room over, I'd get a cutting table made that is the correct height for my short frame and finish the area underneath into storage space. Since I sew mostly clothes (no gowns etc) long narrow sewing tables that give me room to the left of the machine are better then deep tables with room at the back. Good luck with your planning.

Liz

Thank you all so much for the wonderful suggestions and ideas. I've put them all in my "sewing room" folder to refer to as I start the design of this sewing room.

Thanks, again.

Marianne T

"Marianne Teubner" wrote in message news:38n1e.9473$ snipped-for-privacy@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net...

Two rooms! I like my sewing area to be compact and all machines easily accessible - but enough room for two people to be able to work together. My room has my machines around the outside perimetre of three sides, with the fourth side for the storage bins. No drawers for threads and such - instead, my DH made me thread and serger spool holders for the walls. All thread is visible and easily accessible making for quick changes and no hunting. Most notions are also hanging from the wall on racks or pegboard (elastics, bias tapes, cordings, velcro and such). Magazines and books are on the bookshelf that is just inside the door sharing the same wall with my industrial serger. On the wall at the top end of the u is the shelf for my small stereo: I can sew with headphones on at all machines - without the line getting in the way. (Cordless headphones are a no-go because of electrical interference from the machines!) The wall at the open end of the u is where my bins of fabric, laces and other stuff are. I use Rubbermaid roughtotes because they are portable, can be labelled, and in case of flooding those on the bottom are protected! I also have a drop-leaf cutting table but I rarely use it. I actually prefer the floor as I am usually working with at least two metres of fabric at a time and the table is too short for the extra! I find it quicker and easier to use the floor.....but then, I am fortunate to have a large clear floor area that I can take over. When I am cutting out, the upstairs living room becomes my cutting room and off-limits to everyone else. (The telly is downstairs in the family room anyway so nobody is too terribly inconvenienced by the loss.) I would love to permanently take over the area so that I would never have to tidy it back up, but I don't think the family would go for the idea! The lighting is perfect (lots of natural light from the large windows), area rug for cushioning (fabric on rug, pattern and weights on top), hardwood floors for drawing surface, and the picture window makes a great tracing table! Once the cutting is done, the outfits are bagged and placed in totes to be taken to the sewing room where assembly is done. Depending on the type of jobs that I'm doing my iron is set up either upstairs or in my sewing room. I prefer it upstairs. Part of the reason I have the separate space is it allows me to 'switch gears' and better wrap my brain around the specific task that I'm doing. I am assuming that a Koala cabinet stores the machine inside? I never store my machines in anything unless I am travelling with them (I take one sewing machine and one serger when we go away for competition - just in case - and they're always needed!). If I am going to be away for a week or two I cover my machines with sheets. Cynthia

Marianne Teubner" wrote in message news:38n1e.9473$ snipped-for-privacy@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net

Thank you for the credit card reference! Don't stay home without it! Nana

My "must have" is lots of electric outlets and on more than 1 circuit. It seams like every time I turn around there is another thing I want that operates on electricity. Jane in NE Ohio